A Play for all seasons

For 14 years, theatre's first couple, Rohini and Jayadev Hattangady, refused to work together. The reason: A dearth of roles that suited ...

For 14 years, theatre8217;s first couple, Rohini and Jayadev Hattangady, refused to work together. The reason: A dearth of roles that suited both the talented actress and the acclaimed director. Two years ago, Aparajita ended that drought. Today, nearly 50 shows later, 25 in Marathi and 25 in Hindi, it has resulted in a veritable flood.

Written 25 years ago, this one-person play deals with an uneducated woman who is abandoned by her husband and forced to seek shelter under her brother8217;s roof. There she is treated like a glorified bai and hopes to become independent by becoming an actress. The play opens with Aparajita waiting for an important phone call, which she believes will change the course of her otherwise despondent life. While she waits, Aparajita talks about her life and the people that changed it. The only relief to her solo performance comes by way of animals 8212; stuffed toys are used to represent the different characters in her life. quot;Right from the beginning when we went to buy stuffedtoys, Jayadev knew what he wanted. So we looked for a lion, a teddy bear, a monkey. We picked up other animals too, but he never touched them. He knew which animal would represent which characters,quot; says Rohini.

The director also knew that the time was ripe to give his actress a free hand. In a sharp deviation from their earlier style of working, Jayadev just gave Rohini the concept of her role, and left its execution to her. quot;How I conveyed Aparajita was my problem. What to convey was his,quot; says Rohini. And yet, it had a definite ring of the past. quot;In spite of, or may be because of, the freedom the improvisations that we came up with were reminiscent of our National School of Drama plays,quot; says Rohini.

But can a play that was written 25 years ago still work? Yes, says Jayadev. As producer and director he saw no reason to deviate from the original Marathi and Hindi translations. While a lot of things have changed over the years, the basic issues remain the same, he feels. quot;Any woman only feels secure in arelationship only when she is truly independent. Secure in the knowledge that even without a man she can manage on her own,quot; says Jayadev. And keeping this in mind he changed the ending of the play. While the original Aparajita succumbs to the lure of the casting couch, today8217;s Aparajita refuses to compromise. The advise of her maid, Bhanumati, is a pivotal point in the play and ultimately tilts the scales against the casting couch 8212; another debasement of her self. Another dependence that would work against her. quot;I don8217;t condemn anybody or take sides. I just re-evaluate the situation. And in an older play, I try to see what modern, social relevance it has,quot; says Jayadev. Both the Hattangadys believe from their own personal experience that the casting couch is not a necessity, and that is what they have portrayed in the play.

In more ways than one, Aparajita is a part close to Rohini8217;s heart. The sheer number of performances have allowed the character to grow with her and her to grow with thecharacter. quot;I deal with any character wholeheartedly. But with Aparajita I felt it was easier to understand the character as I too come from a middle class background and at one level we have a common bound of fears and aspirations,quot; she says. It also helps her deal with the intensity of her performance. While it may be the role of a lifetime, Rohini has to face the harsh arclights for an unrelenting hour and forty minutes.

With no breaks, no relief. And yet at the end of each show she emerges charged instead of enervated. quot;Whatever I do in theatre I love, so it is not really strenuous,quot; says Rohini. This week, the play also takes the Hattangady8217;s down memory lane. They return to Delhi to stage Aparajita at their old college8217;s National Festival. As Mumbai8217;s only entry this year. Coincidentally, it happens to be the first time the NSD has invited them to perform.

At the Prithvi Theatre, Juhu. On Mar 28. Time: 11.00 am.